Help identifying grandpas plane

Posted by Ohiolongboard@reddit | aviation | View on Reddit | 32 comments

Grandpa was a pilot in WW2, my mom wants to see the plane he used to fly but doesn’t know what plane it was. Is there any way you guys could help identify the plane from this picture? I may have more if my mom can find them

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Thetrueshiznit@reddit

https://www.youtube.com/live/OkcvzUliqvE?si=lmg87YDvm8UNq0Ja

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Ohiolongboard@reddit (OP)

Thank you for this, my mom is going to love to hear stuff like that. Her dad passed super young

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Thetrueshiznit@reddit

There are diecast models of the P-47 available on line, eBay, Amazon, etc. at just about any price you want to spend.

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ihedenius@reddit

Here's a color P-47 film filmed in Italy during WW2. They put cameras in P-47's: behind the pilot, shooting forward and back. under the wing, in the wing timed with the guns, in the wheel well and in the instrument panel, photographing the pilot himself.

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BerrySlayerr@reddit

It looks like a P-47 and your grandpa looks cool as hell.

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pdthedeuce@reddit

This is why I follow this sub...you guys are awesome!

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midwestpapertown@reddit

Im OP's sister. Thank you for all of this information on our grandfather. Feels like I get to actually know him, and do a bit more research on this history.

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hibryd@reddit

FWIW your gramps probably had more than one plane. WWII was an explosion of aeronautical innovation and they kept giving new planes to pilots as they developed them. Mine went through a handful of planes (don’t remember them all) before he got his P-51.

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Kanyiko@reddit

Republic P-47 Thunderbolt. The landing gear door and stores pylon are fairly recognisable.

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MoccaLG@reddit

More like this: Thunderbolt and Lightning....

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Ohiolongboard@reddit (OP)

You’re incredible, thank you so much ❤️

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MrPigeon70@reddit

Your grandpa flew an incredible plane!

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GenerationKrill@reddit

Could have gone off the drop tank alone

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Kanyiko@reddit

Drop tank was what gave me the first inkling. The landing gear door and pylon just confirmed it for me.

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Kooky_Direction@reddit

Looks like Pacific Theater with the PSP underneath.

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Available-Rate-6581@reddit

Could be ET too. Plenty of air strips like that in Italy

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Kooky_Direction@reddit

Ok..I have not seen much other than Pacific, but Italy does make sense.

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mkosmo@reddit

Africa was full of PSP, too.

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Kooky_Direction@reddit

Wow..makes sense but literally I only ever heard the phrase for the Pacific

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mkosmo@reddit

Only mildly off topic, but now I'm waiting for some of the younger redditors to read through this and wonder how they got video games in WW2, since many likely have never heard the term PSP in any other context ;-)

Actually, many of the younger ones likely haven't heard PSP in that context, either, since the PSP was discontinued over a decade ago :-(

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Kooky_Direction@reddit

Lol

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Magnum2684@reddit

Could very well be one of the forward bases built in France or Belgium after the invasion. His uniform definitely reads ETO to me given its condition and cooler climate.

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Far_Dragonfruit_1829@reddit

Dad was a Corsair driver in Korea. Never dressed that nice except on R&R in Japan.

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West-Organization450@reddit

I gotta tell ya…reading that made me choke up a bit. There are a lot of us out there who still care deeply about this history so there are resources available. Just knowing his name and the fact that he was P-47 pilot who served in the European theater is going to get you a good start. There are museums and historians who have an incredible amount of information on this. Believe me it is well worth your time to pursue it. My great uncle flew bombers in Europe…people like your Grandpa very likely saved his ass on multiple occasions. Thank you!

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Ohiolongboard@reddit (OP)

❤️ thank you so much, happy Labor Day

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West-Organization450@reddit

Same to you and yours…thank you!

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West-Organization450@reddit

Sorry to hear your Grandpa passed early…WWII fighter pilots were an amazing breed. I was lucky to get to know my Grandfather and his brothers who were all military pilots during WWII. If your mom wants to find more pics of her dad tell her to just look up ‘real man’ in the dictionary…his picture should be there!

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Ohiolongboard@reddit (OP)

Haha thank you, we tried to find more info a few times but keep running into a dead end, I guess there was a fire that destroyed a lot of records? My mom and sister both said they can only find a little bit on him

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